Critical Radarby SAFETEE

Knowledge · Situation in Germany

Power outages in Germany: figures and situation.

In everyday life Germany's power grid is very reliable, yet questions about blackouts and sabotage are getting louder. This page separates figures from assumptions: what is measured, what happened recently and what authorities say.

How often does the power go out in Germany?

Rarely and briefly. In 2024 each final consumer was without power for an average of 11.7 unplanned minutes, excluding force majeure; the ten-year average is 12.7 minutes. Larger regional outages were recently caused by arson attacks, for example in Berlin in January 2026: 45,400 households and 2,200 business customers were without power for several days.

As of · SAFETEE editorial team · responsible: Marc Riegel

How reliable is the power grid?

For 2024, 830 grid operators reported 164,645 interruptions. The figure covers unplanned interruptions longer than three minutes in low and medium voltage, excluding force majeure events. The value for 2025 was not yet available as of this page.

Average unplanned interruption per final consumer (SAIDI electricity, Federal Network Agency)
YearMinutes
202212.2
202312.8
202411.7
Ten-year average12.7

Which major outages happened recently?

On 3 January 2026, from 6:13 am, a fire at a cable bridge over the Teltow canal in south-west Berlin cut power to 45,400 households and 2,200 business customers in Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee and Lichterfelde. According to media reports, supply was restored on 7 January. The Federal Public Prosecutor is investigating; in March 2026 the federal government named initial suspicion against members of the so-called Vulkangruppe and is examining whether the claims of responsibility are genuine.

On 9 September 2025 an arson attack on power pylons in Berlin-Johannisthal had already cut off around 50,000 customers, according to the state portal berlin.de.

How do authorities assess the sabotage risk?

In its security notice for businesses 01/2026 on the energy sector (26 March 2026), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution writes that Russia has the capability and intent to attack EU and NATO states, that low-threshold attempts such as reconnaissance were observed in 2025, and that no concrete campaign with noticeable effects is currently known.

At the same time, according to the office, left-wing extremist attacks on critical infrastructure cause damage in the tens of millions of euros every year; arson is the preferred method. Citing a confidential assessment, media report around 320 sabotage and suspected cases against critical infrastructure in 2025; the editorial team is not aware of a public statistic from the Federal Criminal Police Office.

How likely is a blackout?

The editorial team is not aware of an official probability for a large-scale blackout. The Federal Network Agency's security of supply monitoring, adopted by the federal government on 3 September 2025, considers supply secure until 2035 provided that up to 22.4 GW of controllable capacity is added, or up to 35.5 GW if the energy transition is delayed.

The distinction matters: a blackout affects large parts of the grid, while regional outages such as in Berlin affect individual grid areas. The major outages in Berlin in 2025 and 2026 were regionally limited but lasted several days.

How do you prepare?

The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance recommends being able to supply yourself for ten days if possible; even three days help. For drinks it calculates at least 1.5 litres per adult per day, plus 0.5 litres for cooking. Its new guide on preparing for crises and disasters also covers power outages.

For businesses, a power outage lasting several days belongs in emergency planning: who needs to be reachable, what runs on backup power, and how is the site or facility secured?

What the Critical Radar adds

The Critical Radar shows incidents affecting power and rail infrastructure on the map of Germany, with source and official assessment, and keeps forecasts on sabotage and the supply situation with probability and due date. On the due date the editorial team openly states whether a forecast came true.

Forecasts with probability and deadline How forecasts are made

Questions and answers

Frequently asked.

How long does the power go out in Germany on average?

According to the Federal Network Agency, 11.7 minutes of unplanned interruption per final consumer in 2024, and 12.7 minutes on average over the last ten years.

What happened in the Berlin power outage in January 2026?

After a fire at a cable bridge over the Teltow canal, 45,400 households and 2,200 business customers in south-west Berlin were without power from 3 January 2026, according to media reports until 7 January. The Federal Public Prosecutor is investigating.

Is a nationwide blackout likely?

The editorial team is not aware of an official probability. The Federal Network Agency considers supply secure until 2035 if enough controllable capacity is added. The major outages in Berlin in recent years were regionally limited.

How much of a supply does the BBK recommend?

Ideally for ten days, at least for three. For drinks the BBK calculates 1.5 litres per adult per day, plus 0.5 litres for cooking.

Sources

All sources were accessed on the date shown. Figures are reproduced unchanged; our own calculations are marked as such. This page is a situation summary, not legal advice.